derail

verb

de·​rail di-ˈrāl 

dē-

derailed; derailing; derails

transitive verb

1

: to cause to run off the rails

2

a

: to obstruct the progress of : frustrate

security problems derailed the tour

b

: to upset the stability or composure of

divorce … can seriously derail an employee

—Joanne Gordon

intransitive verb

: to leave the rails

derailment

di-ˈrāl-mənt 

dē-

noun

Synonyms

• agitate
• ail
• alarm
• alarum
• bother
• concern
• discomfort
• discompose
• dismay
• disquiet
• distemper
• distract
• distress
• disturb
• exercise
• flurry
• frazzle
• freak (out)
• fuss
• hagride
• perturb
• undo
• unhinge
• unsettle
• upset
• weird out
• worry

Examples of derail in a Sentence

The train derailed in heavy snow.

The train was derailed by heavy snow.

Recent Examples on the Web

Slightly off-topic comments can derail it so far away from the original point, and it isn't always done with malice. —Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

With Karl-Anthony Towns sidelined due to left knee soreness, Robinson returned to the starting lineup Tuesday and delivered his most impactful performance since ankle surgery derailed his season. —Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 2 Apr. 2025

Sinners tells the story of twin brothers (Jordan) who return home for a fresh start, but those homecoming plans soon get derailed when they’re confronted by an unimaginable evil. —Photo: Courtesy Of Netflix., Refinery29, 1 Apr. 2025

Republicans then sought to derail Luna's effort by inserting language into a rule governing debate on an unrelated bill on election security that would table her discharge petition. —Caitlin Yilek, CBS News, 1 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

French dérailler to throw off the track, from dé- de- + rail, from English

First Known Use

1850, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Rhymes for derail

• airmail
• assail
• avail
• bewail
• blackmail
• cattail
• cocktail
• curtail
• detail
• dovetail
• email
• entail

Kids Definition

derail

verb

de·​rail di-ˈrā(ə)l 

: to cause to run off the rails

a train derailed by heavy snow

derailment

-mənt 

noun